Bittersweet
by orangejuicee
Summary: Death awaits your return, sweet Persephone. The question is, do you do the same, o' caliginous Queen? Persephone reflects on her marriage through a series of short passages.


She should have returned days ago, but she decided to push her arrival until the latest date possible. Blooms in her mother's garden had already started shedding their numbed petals, creating morose piles surrounding her feet. The young woman had hidden from her mother in the seclusion of the thick forest behind the garden, having already said her goodbyes days ago. Picking up one of the partly intact flowers, she took a deep breath and tried to coax its last sweet aroma.

This was it.

This was the last moment that she could spend with the living until March. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the springtime array of the beautiful poppies and lilies in front of her. A shadow sulked at the corner of her vision. She opened her eyes at once, gasping. How could he even find her here, in her memories?

A sickening feeling crept up her spine. She knew why he was here, in her visions, but never would admit it.

_"When you truly love someone, you will know," Aphrodite had said. "He will fill your thoughts every moment of the day, a nd you are not upset to give them to him."_

Deep down, the girl knew that the real reason for staying here was not because she did not want to face him. Instead, it was the exact opposite. The only thing that held her back was this feeling, this tingling sensation that just _had_ to be the emotion Aphrodite had spoken to her about just weeks before.

She knew that if she delayed her return any longer, the order would be thrown off, and even her father would grow angry. Demeter would be happy again and the remainder of the harsh winter to come would cease as soon as her daughter was safe in her arms. She had to go now.

"Persephone?"

The girl dropped the blossom, starting to her feet at once. "Hades? What are you doing here? I was just..." She trailed off, trying to kick away the circle of flowers around her feet.

He hadn't changed since March, still as handsome as ever in Persephone's eyes. His hair still had been carefully cut before it started to fall against his eyebrows, and he still was wearing the same black sandals that he did when she first met him.

Hades frowned and took hesitant steps towards his wife. "I was worried something was wrong. It is September 26."

"It is?" She said feebly, already feeling guilt for not returning to his residence. Her skin grew pallid. She hugged her arm with her hand, trying to avoid his questioning gaze. "I guess I lost track of time."

Hades pressed his lips into a straight line, only responding with a slight nod of his head. He knew she was lying. It was a skill of his, detecting lies. He never once pointed it out that most of the words from Persephone's mouth were not even close to the truth.

As much as Persephone loved the flowers and gardens that she could conjure with her fingers, there was something about Hades that she adored even more. Perhaps it was the element of him that seemed truly worried for her well-being when she failed to find him on September 23. The couple had only been married for a mere two years, but she had already acquired the knowledge that he valued her companionship more than love. He never did force her into loving him or ever did anything of that manner. The two of them had only recently started sleeping in the same bed at night. Opposed to the contrary belief, Hades was much more of a gentleman than any of the gods of Olympos. He always took excessive measures to make sure Persephone felt at home in the Underworld.

"Are you alright?" He asked, moving a hand to stroke her cheek. "You look pale."

"As do you."

The edges of his lips curled into the ghost of a smile that was hardly even palpable. The subtle scent of cologne wafted off of his chiton with the soft breeze that ran through the meadow.

Persephone resisted letting color flood to her cheeks. He never wore cologne normally, save for the last day that she saw him earlier in the year. She had complimented it then, and now he had put it on for her. He had worn cologne for her now, and probably had days ago when she was scheduled to return to him.

The wind blew, this time a gust that provoked a shiver from the springtime goddess. Hades quickly unclasped the pin to his chlamys, not wasting any time to wrap it around her shoulders. "You are freezing."

She felt the warmth from his body still on the fabric and pulled the chlamys closely around her. "Sorry."

He knew that she was not talking about taken his cloak. "It is hard to walk away from life."

She nodded. A spotted bunny scampered across the grass next to her toes, distracting her from replying with words.

Hades sighed loudly, sending the animal back into the brush. "I wish that you did not have to suffer with me, Persephone. It is my dream for you to be nothing but happy, and I see that nothing but this world gives you that."

Persephone's brows drew together. Her mouth parted slightly in surprise. The death grip that she held on his apparel loosened as her fingers became limp. "What?"

He looked past her figure and into the hills behind her. "You obviously detest my realm. A place of death is not suited for a person with such life in her."

Her heart sank. When she had finally realized her true feelings for him, he did not even want her with him anymore.

"We can ask Zeus if there is some way to revise the conditions," he continued.

"Hades?" Persephone uttered quietly. "Is that what you really wish?"

His forehead scrunched in clear confusion. "What do you mean? I want you to have the best."

"Yes, but do you want me there?" Her blood ran cold under her skin, awaiting the answer. In the silence, she raised her hand to his face. She could feel the slight stubble beneath her palm. In the winter months, he became more lax with his shaving rituals.

He took a minute to contemplate her words. "Of course I do. I-"

"Yes?" Persephone inched closer to his body as the wind became gustier.

He swallowed slowly. His eyes darted across the edge of the clearing in the distance. Persephone narrowed her eyes. He had never shown this much nervousness in the years that she had known him.

"I-I love you, Persephone."


End file.
